Using Artist Made Headpins
Over on Love My Art Jewelry Blog there is a blog hop going on for people using artist made (by oneself or by another artisan) and I wanted to post some things that I’ve been working on.
I consider myself a ceramic bead maker first, and a jewelry designer somewhere else down the line.
I do feel it is important to understand how ones work might be used, so “dabbling” in jewelry making is mostly what I do (and I am ok with that).
I love seeing other artists and designers using my work, and when I sit at the jewelry table, I love using other artist handmade work to compliment mine. It just feels right that way…
I one day will have things set up in my studio for a table for having a torch.
Well. Maybe.
Eh. It hasn’t happened yet.
Probably won’t for a long while. I’ll admit it.
I think I enjoy too much being able to buy parts from my fellow artisan.
I love making beads, selling beads, paying bills, then buying more beads and supplies to make jewelry with as I can.
See – I even have a spool of copper (I have a few actually, in different gauges).
But thankfully I had some oxidized copper from Shannon that went with the headpins also purchased from her shop: Miss Fickle Media.
Because when I realized I needed to stop fiddling with the design of this new WP blog, and get on this post for the blog hop, having that all right there without having to make it – well – that was just AWESOME!
Thank You Shannon!
And you can see above – I have to fiddle quite a bit.
First piece = double head pin wire wrapped (oops! how to connect that?)
Second piece = wire loop, end wrapped around double head pin (where did the headpin go?)
Third piece = Single head pin, wire wrapped into loop, put onto one of the Miss Fickle Media ear wires.
Finally with that third try I got something simple and fast to use.
And when I have trays full of pieces to use (do I sell them, give them to my friend Darlene to sell at her bead show table, or keep them for me to use?) I want to be able to have a technique down that I can whip out some simple designs.
My friend Mary Harding, a fellow clay bead maker, recently inspired me try to give making porcelain headpins a “go” by making some herself.
These are my first attempt above, using 24 gauge Nichrome wire, fired in my kiln to over 2230 degrees F (Cone 5/6).
And I’m quite pleased with the results, but want to make more before starting to sell them.
So for now, here is a peek at my obsession with artist made glass handmade headpins!
Nikki Thornburg of Thornburg Bead Studio and I are working on pieces to use for my new small scale terrarium sculptures.
Genea of Genea Beads makes these great headpins too.
I love they way they look nestled in my porcelain bead caps (I need to get some oxidized sterling ear wires from Shannon to go with these!)
And my friend Nolly of Nollys Folly makes such beautiful garden inspired glass headpins.
I need to work on some ideas in clay to use these – they are just just awesome!
Darlene (D7Studio) carries my work and Nolly’s work to sell at bead shows here in the north east US.
Thank You Darlene for representing our work so we can stay home and make more beads!
Make sure you swing by the Love My Art Jewelry Blog Hop to see what other things people are creating with these artist made balled headpins!
I know I’m inspired to make better jewelry and learn techniques from all these talented people!
Your beads are gorgeous and I really like the earring design that you devised using Shannon’s headpins. Earthy and beautiful!
Thanks Susan! Some days I’m all about fast and easy and her headpins are just so awesome to work with!!!
Thanks so much for the “shout-out” Marsha! I love your caps with my headpins!
I love that you gave the clay headpins a try! They look amazing! Can’t wait to see more!
xo Genea
Your glass beads are such an obsession of mine… The colors are just so amazing! I had made a few into earrings, using some commercial balled headpins, but they just don’t have the right “feel”, so I need to get some from Shannon to really make these perfect. Keep making beads!
Great post! What eye candy! love the look of the glass with your rustic ceramic
Thanks Staci! Chloe (5) came down into the studio and saw them sitting there and said: “Mom – I really like those eyeball looking ones!”. So I promptly picked them up to my eyes and said: “like this?” and she just cracked up… There is always so much to designing and seeing isn’t there 🙂
I was just thinking the same thing as Staci; the contrast of the matte, rustic ceramic, and the shiny glass headpin is wonderful.
Thanks Andrea!!!
Great to see your new ceramic headpins Marsha. They look very cool. Thanks for the link to mine. I am pleased to have inspired you.
You know sometimes you see things, and they just go right on through. Then you see it again, and again, then finally it sticks… It was your beautiful hand painted and nature textures that caught me. I just love your work Mary! We should get into the garden together some day!
Wow, there is some serious eye candy in this post. I love your ceramic head pins – they look gorgeous.
Thank You!!!
Love how you gathered so much inspiration Marsha! Welcome to LMAJ (belated) and the blog is looking GREAT! 😉
Thanks! It is a work in progress for sure. So many things over here on WP – it’s amazing! Thanks for all the helpful tips 🙂
I love your headpins as well as all of your beads and ribbons!
Thanks Kathy! It’s great to be able to see all the pics of what you are making with them!
All of your colors and textures have me so inspired!
I love that you opted to post the three different attempts at the beginning of your post. It’s nice to see what works and what doesn’t.
You have so many pretty designs on here!
Thanks Emily! I tend to be a “do it” kind of person. I have really tried sketching out ideas, but that usually ends up being just a reminder of where the idea started vs what it became. Some things work, and some don’t. And I really enjoy trying to see the potential in even the “failures” because you never know what might be a great idea for another project 🙂
Love how your are really thinking creatively in collaborating with other artists. I’d love to see more of this.
Thanks for sharing your stops and starts using headpins with your gorgeous beads. Beautiful result!
Lynda
Thanks Lynda!
It’s great to have a community to work together with and bounce ideas off of. I look forward to keep on moving forward with these ideas and projects! And will surely be posting more of trials and successes!